The government of Taliban to Afghanistan added to the list of prohibited activities and the chesswhich “up to younger” will be considered a “lucky” game, which is contrary to moral legislation, announced today by a spokesman for the Sports Directorate, Atal Massani.

The chess is “considered a means of betting for money”, which is prohibited by law to promote virtue and prevent morals, explained to the French agency. The Massani did not specify what the penalty for offenders would be like.

46 -year -old Azizulah Gulzanda, owner of a café in Kabul, where the patrons were playing chess, said he would keep the order but has not been convinced by the authorities’ arguments that religion is banning this game. “Many Muslim countries have international players involved in international tournaments. Many young people came here daily and didn’t bet money, “he commented. “People who love chess are saddened,” he said.

After taking power again in 2021, the Taliban gradually imposed the extreme version of Islam they have adopted, forbidden some activities and sports. In 2024, mixed martial arts struggles were forbidden because the government found them “violent” and possibly “opposite to Sharia”. Cricket is still allowed, but only for men.

Women were exterminated by society after being forbidden to frequent parks, gyms, beauty institutes and studying at the university, pushing the UN to complain that the Taliban imposed a kind of “apartheid”.